


It's New York, Baby, Always Jacked Up

by hazgirl16



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bottom Louis, Bottom Niall, CEO Harry Styles, Clubbing, Fluff, M/M, Memory Loss, Non-Famous Louis, Pet Names, Smut, Top Harry, Top Liam, business man harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2020-10-25 18:04:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20728490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazgirl16/pseuds/hazgirl16
Summary: Louis Tomlinson is searching for his Green Eyed Mystery Man. Someone he exchanged brief eye contact with at a club in Manhattan and cannot get out of his head. So, he spends even more time looking for his Mystery Man, but comes up short every time.What happens when he literally runs into Mystery Man? Will things go as he hoped? Or is he doomed for heartbreak?______Harry Styles has spent years obsessing over the man with eyes as blue as the ocean. Eyes that haunt his every waking moment and dreams. Eyes that don't know that they've met in person before, just not in a fleeting pass at a local club. Can he help Louis remember their past? Or will everything around them crumble?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from 'Kiwi' by Harry Styles.
> 
> \-----
> 
> This was supposed to be a One Shot, buuuut, I got to writing and couldn't help myself. Not entirely sure how long this will be. Please leave a comment or kudos if you'd like more! 
> 
> Happy Reading!

Like most love stories, this one started with a glance, however brief. For the briefest of milliseconds eyes that shone like emeralds in the lights of the club met ocean blue. It was hard to tell the emotion in those green eyes. But the need to know more, the intoxication to have another glance was what drove the need thrumming in their veins.

Louis sat at the bar next to his best friend Liam and continued to search the swarm of people on the dance floor. He just wanted another look, another chance of feeling the excitement rush through him. Those emerald green eyes were burned into his memory since the last time they made eye contact. Of course, that had been last weekend, at this very same club, when Louis was plastered drunk and Liam was getting ready to take him home.

“Lou,” Liam began with a sigh. He hadn’t wanted to come out tonight, but being the ever-faithful wingman, he was, he came anyways. “We’ve been here nearly 3 hours and your mystery man is nowhere to be found.” Louis slid his eyes away from the crowd and looked at Liam.

“Lee-yum, you need to relax.” Louis took a small sip of the cocktail he had ordered. It was slightly watery and not mixed well. “If I don’t see him soon, then we can leave. I’m sure Niall is fine without you.”

Louis directed his attention back to the dance floor as Liam texted Niall to tell him that they would be a bit longer. Louis shifted in his chair as he pulled the sleeves of the shirt was wearing down. He was thankful that Liam had said he would come because he knew that his best friend would rather be at home with his own boyfriend. Louis also knew that Liam humored him whenever Louis talked about the green-eyed mystery man from last weekend.

A few more minutes passed, and Louis heaved out a sigh. He finished off the rest of his cocktail and turned to Liam. “Well, Payno, you were right. Mystery Man will remain a mystery and I am shit outta luck.”

“Maybe you need to expand your range of where you look for someone,” Liam offered as he shrugged on his jacket. “I mean, there are only so many people you can find in a club.” The two men walked through the crowd toward the exit. “And most of them won’t remember your name the next morning.”

Louis nodded at Liam’s point. It wasn’t like he wanted to find someone in the club, but when you have the social skills of a rock, being drunk usually worked. He was glad that they had parked close to the club as the weather started to get cooler in New York. Louis pulled his jacket on tighter and popped the collar to get the wind off his neck.

In the time that he was doing all of that, Louis let out a shriek as he was knocked to the ground. “What the fuck!” he shouted as his ass hit the ground. The dirty and wet pavement at that. “Why don’t you watch where you’re walking you ass.”

“I think the same could be said for you Little One,” and if Louis wasn’t blushing from the fall, he was certainly blushing down. “You’re the one that ran into me.”

“Listen here,” Louis said as he stood up and brushed his hands on the knees of his now wet skinny jeans. “If you think that I’m….” he trailed off as he looked up into the eyes of the idiot who knocked him over.

In front of him were the emerald eyes that haunted his dreams. The eyes that he had searched so hard for in the club, only to be disappointed. The eyes that belonged to the arrogant man in front of him.

“Are you going to continue your tirade or just stare at my face?” Green Eyes smirked as he watched Louis struggle.

Louis shook his head and huffed out a breath. “I’m not apologizing since you’re the one who ran into me.” He looked around for Liam and found him standing there with an amused expression on his face.

Green Eyes turned around and looked at Liam, then smiled. “Don’t tell me this is one of your friends Li.”

“Wait! You two know each other?!”

The two men turned back to Louis who was now glaring at them. “Yes, Louis, I know him. I do have other friends besides you and Zayn.” Green Eyes focused back on him and stuck out his hand.

“My name is Harry Styles and I work with Liam,” Louis hesitantly shook the offered hand. A feeling of embarrassment washed through him as he looked at Harry. “We’re working on different projects right now, so I actually do not see him as often.”

Louis could only nod. “I’m Louis Tomlinson. Liam’s been my best friend since we were kids.” He was so utterly embarrassed that he had fallen on his ass in front of the man who he had wanted to take him home and then forget. But, as Louis had found out, a man like that could not be forgotten.

Thankfully Liam saw that Louis was turning in on himself. “Well, we best be off. I’ve got Niall waiting at home and Lou is my ride.” Harry smiled again, this time though, he had dimples carved into his cheeks. “We’ll have to get a coffee soon. See you at work H.”

Harry simply waved at Liam and said, “Bye Lou.”

The pair watched the taller man walk off toward the club and slip inside. Liam dug his keys out of his pocket and began walking to the car. Louis followed on auto pilot, his legs seemingly having a mind of their own. His brain was trying to process everything that had just occurred and how utterly betrayed he felt by Liam.

As he slid into the car and buckled, Louis waited until they were out on the dark streets to speak. “How could you not tell me that you knew Mystery Man?” Louis tried to keep his voice from raising, but it was hard.

“Because I didn’t know! Seriously Louis, what are the chances that Harry would be your mystery man.” Liam shot him a glance and slowed at a red light. “It’s just a coincidence that I know him. It’s not like we planned on duping you.”

“I know,” Louis grumbled as he crossed his arms. “Just feels like the Universe hates me and this is its big way of saying fuck you.”

Liam let out a laugh and continued driving toward the townhome they shared. He pulled up and parked in an open spot. Louis got out and ran for the front door, knowing it would be open because Niall never bothered to lock it.

He swung the door open and slipped his shoes off. The lights in the kitchen were off, but he could hear the TV from the sitting room. Liam followed behind him as they made their way toward the sound.

“Your boyfriend is liar,” Niall looked at him with a curious look. “He knows Mystery Man and never told me.” Liam let out a sigh as he sat down next to Niall and kissed his cheek. “I told you Lou, I didn’t know that Harry was Mystery Man.” Louis let out a snort and shook his head. Liam knew it was pointless at this point. Louis was in a mood and it would take a bit for him to let it go.

Nearly an hour later, Louis was falling asleep in his spot and his neck was getting sore. He stood up and let out a groan as he stretched.

He said good night to Liam and Niall then climbed the stairs to his bedroom.

He stepped out of his jeans and shirt, tossed them in the overflowing hamper and headed for the bathroom. Turning the water to a scalding temperature, Louis stepped in and let out a sigh. The water beat on his back and loosened the muscles in his sore neck, sending him into a relaxed state. He let go of everything that had happened tonight and kept telling himself that Mystery Man was a no go. He was off limits since he was a friend of Liam’s and they had a code.

One major rule was that they would not date any friends of the other. Because if something bad happened, they didn’t want the other to choose sides. Louis finished showering and stepped out, bracing himself for the cooler air of the bedroom. He tied a towel around his waist and ran another through his hair, letting it air dry.

Slipping on a pair of boxers and an oversized t-shirt he stole off of Liam, he slipped into bed and pulled the covers tight. Louis tried his best to keep Harry off his mind, but damnit, it was hard.

He tossed and turned for what felt like hours until it became useless. Looking at the clock on his iHome, Louis shoved the blanket down and climbed back out bed. Slowly and quietly he made his way to the kitchen where he knew Liam left his phone to charge. If he was going to something stupid and reckless, he supposed there could be worse things.

Louis entered the kitchen and did an internal dance of joy. Just as he expected, Liam’s phone was on the counter and plugged in. Grabbing it quickly and typing in the passcode 2993. “How dumb Liam,” he muttered as he navigated his way to the contacts and found Harry’s name. It was listed under _Harry, Styles and Co_, which Louis found odd. But he didn’t know Harry that well, so he figured it was some kind of inside joke.

Sending a message to himself and then deleting the conversation, Louis set the phone back down and snuck back upstairs. Slipping in his room, he grabbed his own phone from the jeans he had been wearing and stored Harry’s number in his own phone. 

Before he could stop himself, Louis typed out a message and then laid back down, heartrate speeding up as he waited for a reply. _Hi! This is Louis, hope you don’t mind I swiped your number from Liam. _

It was a simple message really. Nothing that would be embarrassing, unless Liam found out that he had taken Harry’s number. Then Louis would never live it down and it would haunt him forever. He resisted the urge to look at his phone every 30 seconds and just stared at the ceiling.

He was on the cusp of sleep when his phone vibrated. Louis grabbed it and, in his haste to read the notification, dropped the electronic on his face. He rubbed his nose and squeezed his eyes shut as the throbbing pain went away. Louis read the message with a smile.

_Harry: I certainly don’t mind Little One. Now I don’t have to bother Liam for your number._

Louis’ stomach swooped at the nickname Harry had given him. Normally it would bother him, but the way it sounded in Harry’s voice made him feel gooey inside. It was like honey being poured out of the bottle in that satisfying way.

Another notification stirred him out of his thoughts as another message from Harry came through: _Why don’t we meet properly tomorrow at Delilah’s on 52nd? I’d love to get to know you much better Little One._

With a giddy smile, Louis tapped out his reply, _Sure! How about 9:30ish?_

Harry’s reply was instantaneous, and Louis tried his hardest not to giggle out loud. He didn’t need to wake up Niall or Liam and have them on his case. He was going to get enough of that tomorrow when they found out where he was going and who he was seeing.

His alarm was set for 8AM, ensuring he had enough time to get dressed and down to Delilah’s. They lived about 15 minutes away via taxi, but it could take longer on a Saturday heading into Manhattan from their townhome in Queens.

With another smile to himself, Louis wiggled in bed and got comfortable under the covers. Tomorrow was going to be one of the best days he’s had in a while and nothing could ruin it.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been written for a while. I honestly forgot about it over the holidays and with some life changes, writing got pushed to the back burner. I'll try my best to be around more often. Also, the portion between the *** is a flashback.

Harry Styles stood up from his chair and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. The knotted curls caught in his fingers and he winced as it pulled at his scalp. After his run in with Louis at the club, he had come back to his office, in need of a stronger drink. That drink had turned into too many more and he was now nursing a hangover. 

Louis Tomlinson haunted his dreams more often than he liked. His blue eyes, lithe form, and feathery brown hair were all he could think about. Louis was the love of his life and it was hard not to let the truth slip. That they had been married for nearly three years, together almost five and that there was no one else for him. There had been an accident that taken Louis from him and Harry was still angry. 

The accident hadn’t taken Louis physically, but all the memories they had together. On his desk, there was a picture of the two of them on their first wedding anniversary. Harry had surprised Louis with dinner at the local diner, Delilah’s, where they had first met. That’s what caused Harry to go on this little bender. When Louis had suggested Delilah’s to ‘properly meet.’ 

Luckily Louis had texted him asking if they could go a bit later as he was helping Liam nurse a hangover. Harry smiled at the thought, as Liam had been the reason, he had met his husband. It had been at the first company holiday party Harry hosted after taking over from his stepfather Robin.

Louis had just moved to New York City from a small midwestern town in Michigan and Liam had friended him instantly. Harry could never forget how ethereal the boy had looked, standing the glow of the white lights around the room. He had been captivated from the first stare and nearly wept with joy when Liam introduced them.

The rest after that, was history, and no one was surprised when the two announced they were now exclusive. The pair had decided to date for a while, but Harry had other things in mind. So, he had, on their first dating anniversary, asked Louis to marry him. Louis had tackled him to the ground, upsetting the chairs they were sitting in, crying and saying ‘yes.’

Harry’s heart clenched as his hand traveled to the necklace that hung from his neck. The chain was simple and held some of his most prized possessions: his and Louis’ wedding rings. It had been one of the first things handed back to him after the accident. 

***

It had started out as a normal weekday for them. Harry had been heading into a mid-morning meeting when his cell phone rang. It was from a co-worker of Louis’, named Ingrid. She was crying and Harry had to tell her a number of times to slow down and repeat everything she said.

When she had told Harry that Louis was in the hospital and injured pretty severely, he dropped everything. The drive to the hospital took forever and Harry almost got pulled over after weaving in and out of traffic. But he didn’t care what happened to him. The only thing he cared about was getting to Louis.

He had been directed to the Intensive Care Unit on the 10th floor where Ingrid was waiting. They had just taken Louis in for surgery to fix the damage done to his body and make sure there wasn’t any internal damage. She explained that they had been heading to lunch when a car ran a run light and struck Louis’ car. 

Since he was in the driver’s seat and his side had taken the hardest impact, Louis had taken most of the damage. Ingrid had some minor bruising and cuts, but nothing like what Louis had. Harry fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face at the thought of losing his husband. 

It had taken a couple of nurses to get Harry to calm down and into Louis’ room. They had already called his stepdad, Dan, and let him know. Harry sat in the chair next to the empty bed where Louis would be laying once he came out of post-op. He had wondered how Louis would be when he woke up from the anesthesia? 

When the time had come for Louis to come back to the room to begin his recovery, the Doctor had pulled Harry aside. He had told him that there wasn’t too much internal damage, but that Louis had suffered a pretty severe concussion and that there could be some memory loss. How bad the memory loss would be, the Doctor was unsure. 

The nurses had gotten Louis settled in and advised Harry that it might be a few more hours before he woke up. Harry had shaken his head and sat down next to the love of his life and held his hand. Louis’ hand fit into his perfectly still and Harry rubbed his thumb against the tan skin. That was one of his favorite things about them, that they just seemed to fit. The room was silent with the exception of the quiet beeping of the heart monitor.

Dan had shown up at some point with Lottie and the older twins, Phoebe and Daisy. The girls gathered around their older brother while Dan went over everything with Harry. With some of his family there now, Harry hoped that it would prompt Louis to wake up and let them know how he was doing. At another point, one of the nurses came in to check on Louis and to give Harry the things that they had found on Louis when he had been brought in.

Harry let Louis’ sisters have all the time that they needed with him even though he wanted to be at his side. He had been in the middle of checking on an email when Lottie let out a gasp. Harry turned and saw the familiar fluttering of Louis’ eyelashes against his cheeks. Dan ushered Lottie out of the way to let Harry through. 

Louis’ eyes opened and Harry nearly broke down again. He cupped the younger man’s cheek and had whispered, “Hi Lou,” he could see some of the confusion creep into those ocean blue eyes. “How are you feeling?” 

Louis took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the room and stopping on his Dan and the girls. Harry saw the look of confusion break as he looked at them, but it returned as soon as he turned his attention back to Harry. He then whispered the three words that would signal the beginning of the end for them. “Who are you?” 

Harry tried his hardest not to let any tears fall at those words. He figured it was just some side effects of the crash, the confusion and frustration. He had brought out his phone and showed some of the pictures of the two of them together, from their first date to their honeymoon down in Cabo. 

Louis still didn’t know who Harry was even after seeing the pictures of them together. Dan had gone to get the nurse and doctor as soon as Louis had woken up and everyone was ushered out of the room. The girls knew that something was wrong but didn’t ask as Lottie saw the way that Harry had reacted when Louis had woken up. 

Once Louis had been checked over the doctor came out and explained that there was some memory loss. Harry had never wanted to punch someone as badly as he did in that moment. They weren’t stupid and could see that most of Louis’ current memories were gone. 

He had recalled his family and friends from back home and even Liam. The more the doctor had questioned, it seemed that Louis had lost the past 6 years of memories, including Harry. Louis had also requested that Harry no longer visit him as he had no idea who he was and therefore did not have any say in his wellbeing. 

Harry complied with his husband’s wishes and stayed away from Louis. Dan did keep him updated on Louis’ recovery as he had gone back to his family home for a quieter and more restful recovery.

***  
Harry shook his head and let out a sigh as the memories flashed in his mind. It had been almost a year since that horrific day, and he was no closer to having Louis back. But now it was like they were starting over. Harry wanted to recreate their love story all over again, in hopes that it would jar something in Louis and help him remember. 

And if going on a date at Delilah’s was the start then that’s what he would do. Harry checked his phone and saw a text from Louis asking if they could do lunch instead. He was nursing a hangover as well and wanted to sleep a bit longer.

Harry let out a laugh and replied back that it was fine. This gave him time to run back to the apartment, shower and change out of the clothes from the night before. Traffic was surprisingly light for a Saturday morning, but Harry wasn’t about to complain.

He pulled out into traffic and headed back the apartment that he shared with Louis. He hadn’t changed anything since the accident. Even Louis’ clothes were still there, the small nick knacks that he got from various shops around the city. It provided Harry comfort in the hardest days, knowing that he still had pieces of his soulmate with him. 

Harry didn’t spend a lot of time at the apartment because it was too quiet. There wasn’t the squeak of the bathroom door as Louis cleaned on Saturdays. Nor was there the clanking of pans and cursing as Louis tried to bake cookies from scratch. That the hardest thing for Harry, the silence and knowing that he may not get that back.   
Pulling into the underground parking garage of the apartment building, Harry locked the car and dashed upstairs. He wasn’t going for fancy with this date but had some ideas for what he wanted to wear already in his head.

Unlocking the door and shuffling inside, he headed for the bathroom for a quick shower. It was nearing 11:30AM and he wanted to get to Delilah’s by at least noon. Harry hurried in washing, making sure he got the important bits and did a quick rinse of his hair. It would dry curly, just the way Louis liked it. 

Dressing in a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a lilac colored sweatshirt and some tennis shoes he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. Traffic had picked up and more people were out now. The drive to Delilah’s took twenty minutes on a good day, but with the amount of people, Harry calculated that it would take at least thirty. 

With a few more curses and some honking, he finally managed to get to the other side of town. As Harry pulled into Delilah’s through the big window, he saw Louis, sitting at the table where they had first met. Their table as Harry jokingly called it, but it was true. 

They never sat anywhere else when they ate here and seeing Louis made Harry a bit nostalgic. “Well,” he said with deep breath, releasing slowly, “here goes nothing.”


End file.
